The APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC-CTF), hosted by the Office of National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO) under Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), represented Thailand at two international forums in the People’s Republic of China from 27–30 June 2026. The events brought together policymakers, researchers, innovation agencies, universities, and private-sector representatives from 12 APEC member economies — Australia; the People’s Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; the Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Papua New Guinea; Peru; the Russian Federation; Singapore; Thailand; and Viet Nam — to exchange knowledge and experiences on science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies and explore opportunities for regional cooperation to support sustainable economic growth across the Asia-Pacific region.

Representing Thailand, Mrs. Jirapan Christian Linares, Policy Developer at the APEC-CTF, was invited to deliver keynote presentations at both events, sharing Thailand’s experience in health innovation and Strategic Foresight with international participants.

At the APEC Workshop on Policies, Resources, and Information Exchange on STI to Promote Formal and Global Economic Growth, held in Haikou, Hainan Province, on 27–28 June 2026, Mrs. Jirapan delivered a keynote presentation entitled “Building a Future-Ready Health & Medical Innovation Ecosystem in Thailand: From Innovation to Foresight.” The presentation highlighted Thailand’s efforts to strengthen its health and medical innovation ecosystem by fostering collaboration among government agencies, funding organizations, universities, hospitals, industry partners, and other key stakeholders. The ecosystem aims to accelerate the translation of research and innovation into practical applications and societal benefits while enhancing Thailand’s capacity to address emerging health challenges.

During the workshop, Thailand proposed four areas for enhanced cooperation among APEC economies in health and medical innovation: exchanging experiences and best practices on innovation policies and support mechanisms; jointly developing pilot projects, testbeds, and innovation sandboxes; strengthening collaboration on Strategic Foresight to improve future preparedness; and establishing a regional Strategic Foresight network to promote continued knowledge exchange and collaboration across the Asia-Pacific region.

On 30 June 2026, Mrs. Jirapan delivered a second keynote presentation at the China Lecheng International Precision Medicine Innovative Cooperation Workshop, held in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in Hainan Province. Her presentation, entitled “Strategic Foresight for Health & Medical Innovation: Thailand’s Approach through APEC-CTF,” introduced Thailand’s experience in applying foresight methodologies to health and medical innovation and highlighted the role of APEC-CTF as an only regional platform for technology foresight, foresight capacity building, and future-oriented STI policy dialogue among APEC economies.

Thailand’s participation in both forums provided an important opportunity to share the country’s experience in Strategic Foresight and health innovation with the international community while strengthening networks among policymakers, researchers, and innovation leaders across the Asia-Pacific region. The engagement also reflects Thailand’s commitment to advancing science, technology, and innovation as key drivers of sustainable development and to supporting regional cooperation through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and future-oriented policymaking.